The present invention provides an antifouling composition for use in the prevention of the damages caused by the attachment of fouling creatures to the surfaces of ships, marine structures, fishnets, buoys, sea water conduits and so on, disfunctions of paper mill and other industrial cooling water systems, recycling water cooling systems, etc. due to deposition of slime, or deterioration of the quality of water due to abnormal multiplication of bacteria and other microorganisms.
Marine structures, inclusive of ships, offshore structures, sea water conduit systems of seaside plants, fishnets, culture rafts and buoys, are favorite habitats of large attached animals and plants, such as barnacle, hardshell mussel, sea lettuce (green layer), etc., attached diatom, bacteria and other microorganisms, all of which cause corrosion of structures, increased sea water resistance of slips, clogging of fishnets which may induce a massive death of fish, and increased structure weights which lead to sinking and decreased operation efficiencies. In pipelines for industrial cooling water etc. which utilize natural water such as river or lake water and recycling water cooling systems utilizing city water, bacteria, attached diatom, blue-green algae, pond scum, etc. grow abundantly to cause various troubles such as deterioration of water quality, reduced cooling efficiencies due to attachment of these organisms to the pipe walls, and plugging or reduced flow in the water lines. The slime in the pulping process in a paper mill line causes a serious deterioration of paper quality.
For the purpose of preventing such damages due to harmful aquatic life, chemical control is generally practiced using inorganic heavy metal compounds, organometal compounds, heavy metal salts, inorganic or organic halogen compounds, etc. For example, the bottom plate and sea water inlet of ships and fishnets have heretofore been coated with antifouling paints which are mostly based on organocopper compounds or organotin compounds. In cooling water systems, it is common practice to add an organometal compound, an inorganic or organic halogen compound, a peroxide, or the like either directly or as dissolved or dispersed with a hydrating agent. Such chemical control is often ineffective when the rate of release or dissolution is low and the use of effective concentrations presents toxicity and residue problems which are abhored from the standpoint of environmental hygiene and protection. Therefore, there is a standing demand for an antifouling composition which is free from these safety and environmental risk factors and does not adversely affect the ecosystems and working environments.